It’s very hard to engage with the anti-sex campaign group Object – they typically ignore all attempts to do so. Even strippers and models who they have labelled as “victims” get the cold shoulder. I wrote to Object’s CEO Roz Hardie several months ago, to question their use of unfounded rape allegations as propaganda, and to date have had no response.

So imagine my surprise when Roz left a comment on this blog. Regrettably, the comment still did not address the rape-allegation issue, but it raised some other points that need addressing.

The remainder of this post is directed to Roz.

Normalising Child Abuse?

You say: “I will not be buying pants from Voluptasse, regardless of the discount. Having had a look at their website I see they sell ‘Debbie Does Detention’ and other ‘sexy schoolgirl’ outfits. While I don’t believe that eroticising school children directly causes child sexual abuse I do believe that it helps to normalise it, or minimise it. I also find such materials deeply offensive to survivors of abuse by teachers and other school-based staff.”

Melissa MacFarlane, owner of Voluptasse, responds:

“It disappoints me that you seek to turn healthy adult play into a homage to abuse. It is quite different.

As a survivor of abuse myself, it offends me that you use something that happened to me to suppress the choices that women are entitled to make. I am happy for ANY woman to dress in an outfit that they enjoy wearing because I support a woman’s freedom of choice.

As the owner of Voluptasse I have endeavoured to cater for all shapes, sizes and need of my customers, including a specialist range for those who have had breast surgery. I included costumes because they are a popular choice for my female customers who enjoy age play or quite often are attending fancy dress parties.

What my customers wear is THEIR choice and the bedroom activities between consenting adults is THEIR choice. Please explain more about how the behaviour of consenting adults normalises child abuse or minimises it?”

EDIT: Post-publication, we received this response from Molly Moore who blogs at Molly’s Daily Kiss:

Her comment is yet another in a  long line that implies the adults are unable to have fantasies and even act them out, with other ADULTS, in case they might forget what they are doing and suddenly start doing it with an actual child. How insulting is that? Would she say the same of people who shop in Tack shops for horse paraphernalia for their pony play activities? Are they condoning bestiality, or are we only confused when it comes to children?”

Spitting?

You say: “Also can you please stop saying that that a member of Object has ‘spat on a sex-worker’.”

To my knowledge, this allegation has never been made on this blog. The closest I can find was written by me, in general reference to abuse of sex workers, but does not refer to Object. I wrote: “When “rescuing” entails spitting on strippers as they go to work, supporting immigration and drug squad raids on brothels, and calling for well-paid women to be made unemployed, one has to suspect the true motivations of the rescuer.”

Roz – please provide a link to the text you’re referring to, or withdraw the allegation.

Knife-Related Violence?!

You make the following allegation against an unnamed pornographer: “…profits from extreme racist porn including knife related violence to black women’s genitals…”

Please provide the name of the producer and the site/clip you are referring to. I have never seen a porn clip that fits the above description. I realise it’s easy to get the Daily Mail worked up with such statements, but we at Sex & Censorship operate on the basis of available evidence, not unfounded accusations.

Violent, Abusive Material

You allege that your abusive behaviour (caught on camera) at the Spearmint Rhino protest last September was “…women heckling men who make violent abusive material…”

Please name these men, and provide links to the material you are referring to. I witnessed your group calling apparently random men “rapists” and calling women “losers”. The abuse seemed pretty indiscriminate to me.

Assault?

You make an allegation that you were pushed by a photographer at the protest. Of course, I would never condone such behaviour, and the person you name has no link with this campaign. This is the first I have heard of such an allegation. Why did you not report it at the time, and why are you raising it here, now?

Porn Debate

You say: “If you let me know the blank times in their schedule I will book a location in Tower Hamlets near the Hilton for one between Object and Alec Helmy and Jonathan Todd when they are staying at the Hilton Hotel at the XBIZ EU event next September.”

Neither Alec nor Jonathan are linked with this campaign, and I’m not their diary manager. If you want to debate them, I suggest you contact them direct.

However, I would be more than happy to engage in debate with you.

Where We Live

You say the following: “Also, was it necessary to say where I live on your blog?”

I merely mentioned, in the letter to which you have not replied, that you and I both live in the London Borough of Lewisham. I don’t know any more detail than that, nor would I reveal your address if I knew it.

Finally, I note that you have left messages for @NakedTruthGuy and Daniel Factor within your comment, and referred to Daniel as my “colleague”. Neither person is directly involved with Sex & Censorship, and I’ve never met Daniel. I suggest you contact them direct.